The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-03
Will Sharp Become an Inmate of the
Panitantiarsv2

Notwithstanding that nobody doubts that
Jacob Sharp is guilty of the crime of which
he was convicted, there is a growing i'm
preston that he will not become an inmate
of the penitentiary. The power of money
is very forcibly illustrated in his case. His
money is not used Improperly to influence
courts, but it nevertheless does influence
them indirectly. The fact that he is a rich
man is doubtless not without its weight
though no one of the judges who has granted
a stay in his case, is probably conscious that
he has permitted that fact to influence him
in the least. Without money Sharp
would never have been liable to
secure the services fof lawyers whose
standing is so high that they are able to OBJ
tain favors from courts which are not grant
ed wholly because the law authorizes them
If it had not been for his money Sharp would
now be in the penitentiary. His lawyers
would have ceased their efforts in his behalf
when the jury rendered its verdict. No
fault could have been found with them if
they had done so, because they would have
done for him all they wore employed
to do When a lawyer believes
his client to be innocent he leaves
no means untried to clear him of the charges
against him, even though there is little or
no reason TO expect compensation for his
services, but when he has good reason to
think his client guilty he wants to be- paid
handsomely, as a rule, for his efforts to de
feat justice.
There is no doubt that Sharp's lawyers in
tend to miss no chance to secure their clients
release, and it is not surprising that the in
tegrity of the judges who have granted him
temporary relief has been called into ques-
ton. There is 10 reason to believe, however
that the judges have not acted honestly. 1t
was said that Judge Potter, who granted the
first stay, had been guilty of transactions
that were calculated to destroy public chr
fidence in him, but investigation showed
this statement to be without solid founda-
ton. 1t is now claimed that Chief Justice
Ruger, who granted the last stay, was
mixed up in an affair with a man who was
a partner of Sharp's thirty years ago which
was not creditable one, and that the Chief
the stay asked for Sharp would make reve-
lations which would not be pleasant for
him. Doubtless there is as little foundation
for this attack on the Chief Justice as there
was for the one on Judge Potter.
The probability is that the stay will be
continued until the Court of Appeals can
review the case, which will not be for two
or three months. The question whether it
shall be continued will be argued next
Thursday. 1t is not improbable that the
lawyers for the State will agree to let the
stay stand until the decision of the Court of
Appeals is known. In that case there will
be no argument.
1t is pretty safe to say that the stay will
be continued whether the States lawyers
agree to it or not, and that Sharp will not
see the inside of the penitentiary this year.
The fact, however, that a very able Judge
presided at the trial whose rulings were
made with the greatest care, and the further
fact that the Supreme Court of the State
has said that there is no ground for inter
fering with the verdict, justifies the belief
that, although Sharp may Keep out of the
penitentiary for while by the aid of his
lawyers, he will not escape it entirely unless
death claims him before final decision in
his case is reached